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Overview & Facts

Flu: Overview & Facts

Flu Basics

What Is Flu? Influenza, commonly known as the "flu," is an extremely contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. Flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring.

Causes of Flu While more than 100 different viruses can cause a cold, only influenza virus types A, B, and C cause the flu.

Flu: What Puts You at Risk? What puts you at risk for flu? Learn who is likeliest to catch the virus and why.

How to Prevent the Flu

Tips to Stay Safe From Flu Nervous about catching the flu this season? Here are some key strategies for flu prevention.

How the Flu Shot Works "Vaccines prevent the flu in infants, children, and adults. Learns the reasons to get a flu shot each year, what kind to get, and who shouldn't get one."

Strengthen Your Immune System Learn what your body's immune system does and how to strengthen it so you can boost your odds of staying well.

Types of Flu

Type A, B and C Flu Viruses There are three types of flu viruses: A, B, and C. Type A and B cause the annual influenza epidemics that have up to 20% of the population sniffling, aching, coughing, and running fevers. Type C also causes flu, but the symptoms are much less severe.

Stomach 'Flu' Sometimes people mistake symptoms of stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, for the viral infection we commonly call "flu." But they're not the same.

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Symptoms Of End Stage Stomach Cancer

Early stage stomach cancer typically doesn't have specific symptoms. But in later stages, the cancer often presents with symptoms ranging from unintended weight loss to jaundice, and usually with a noticeable stomach lump.

Stomach cancer is extremely difficult to cure once it's advanced. People with end stage stomach cancer live at least 5 years about 7% as often as people without stomach cancer.

End stage stomach cancer is also called stage 4 cancer or metastatic cancer. Treatment for end stage stomach cancer is usually palliative, meaning it focuses on reducing your symptoms and increasing your survival time. Medications and other supportive treatments may be able to ease symptoms like:

Your healthcare team can help make your experience as comfortable as possible during this difficult time in your life.

Here, we look at the potential symptoms of end stage stomach cancer and what you can expect during this time.

Stomach cancer usually doesn't cause symptoms in the early stages. In rare cases, general and nonspecific symptoms may appear.

In a 2020 case study, researchers reported a 76-year-old woman who had left upper back pain for a year that came and went. She had occasional heartburn. While out shopping, she had a brief episode where she became pale and felt weak, nauseated, and light-headed.

Symptoms of stomach cancer often don't appear until the late stages, often when the cancer has already spread to other parts of your body (the definition of "end stage" for this condition).

Symptoms of end stage stomach cancer can include:

All of these symptoms can have causes other than stomach cancer.

The most common finding during a physical exam is a noticeable mass around your stomach.

Stomach cancer metastases

Metastases are areas in distant parts of your body where the cancer has spread. Here are some of the most common places stomach cancer spreads and some of the potential symptoms they may cause:

Treatment for stomach cancer that can't be removed surgically or that has returned after previous treatment is usually palliative. Your treatment may include the following:

Chemotherapy

Many different chemotherapy drugs are used to treat late stage stomach cancer. These drugs include:

capecitabine (such as Xeloda, Xitabin, and Capcibin)

docetaxel (Taxotere, Docefrez)

cisplatin (Platinol and others)

doxorubicin (such as Adriamycin, Doxil, and Caelyx)

epirubicin (Pharmorubicin)

etoposide (such as Etopophos, Toposar, and Vepesid)

fluorouracil (such as Carac, Efudex, and Fluoroplex)

irinotecan (such as Camptosar, Campto, and Onivyde)

leucovorin (Wellcovorin)

oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)

paclitaxel (such as Nov-Onxol, Onxol, and Paclitaxel Novaplus)

trifluridine and tipiracil (Lonsurf)

Some clinics may offer hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, where warmed chemotherapy drugs are used to wash the inside of your abdomen during surgery.

Ramucirumab, possibly with chemotherapy

Ramucirumab (Cyramza) falls into a class of drugs called targeted therapy. These medications specifically target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells relatively intact. They generally cause fewer side effects than chemotherapy.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu) is a targeted therapy drug. Doctors use it to treat stomach cancer that's overexpressing the protein HER2. These cancers are called HER2-positive stomach cancers.

Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is a type of immunotherapy drug. Doctors administer pembrolizumab for stomach cancers with certain genetic changes called:

DNA-mismatched repair deficiency cancer

microsatellite instability-high cancer

tumor mutational burden-high cancer

Other treatments

You may receive treatment for blockages in your gastrointestinal tract, such as:

endoluminal laser therapy

endoluminal stent placement

gastrojejunostomy, a surgical bypass between your stomach and your middle small intestines

Radiation therapy and surgery may also be performed to reduce symptoms. Doctors also prescribe medications to help manage your discomfort.

Supportive treatments can help minimize pain caused by complications of your cancer. Strong pain medications can help lessen physical discomfort. Many of these medications cause side effects like sleepiness or confusion.

The side effects of these medications, combined with the progression of your disease, will likely cause you to spend progressively more time asleep.

As you get closer to the end of life, your heart rate will likely slow down. Decreased blood and oxygen supply to your brain may cause you to lose consciousness. At this point, you're unlikely to experience any significant pain.

Even though dying of stomach cancer often isn't physically painful for the person going through it, it can be emotionally painful for you and the people close to you.

Here are some ways you may be able to provide comfort to a loved one with stomach cancer.

Supporting their physical needs

You may be able to make your loved one more physically comfortable by:

helping them change their position in their bed frequently

elevating their head, if it's comfortable for them

providing them with blankets or a fan to help them stay comfortable

helping them bathe

bringing them fluids and easy-to-eat sources of nutrition like smoothies

using moisturizer to soothe their dry skin

Supporting their emotional needs

Every person dying of cancer has their own way of dealing with their situation. Some people may feel afraid or sad while others are at peace about what's ahead of them.

You can ask your loved one about what they want emotionally. They may want to deal with their finances, resolve unfinished conflicts, or say their final goodbyes.

End stage stomach cancer isn't considered curable. Treatment revolves around prolonging your life and minimizing your discomfort.

With proper treatment, dying of stomach cancer doesn't need to be physically painful. But it can still be difficult emotionally for you and your loved ones.

You can help a person dying of stomach cancer by offering them physical and emotional support. You can also talk with a palliative care professional for recommendations.

I Thought I Had The Stomach Flu — I Gave Birth To Premature Twins

"Jacob was born at 6 a.M., with my mom delivering him just as the paramedics arrived to then deliver Jaxon at 6:15 a.M.," Shaw said.University Hospitals of North Midlands

"I kept trying not to push and was saying they can't come yet as it's too soon, but the operator told me I must push if I felt like I needed to," she explained.  

Shaw couldn't wait. Her mom delivered Jacob and when the paramedics came, they delivered Jaxon.

"Jacob was born at 6 a.M., with my mom delivering him just as the paramedics arrived to then deliver Jaxon at 6:15 a.M.," she recalled.

It's been four weeks since their births, and the twins should be going home soon — after surviving various challenges, including being put on ventilators.

Dr. Lee Abbott, clinical lead of neonatology at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, called the boys "miracle babies.

"On arrival, they were so cold that they had unrecordable body temperatures, they both had blood acid levels that were not consistent with survival and they also had low blood pressures," Abbott said. 

He added, "They have both pulled through, are doing incredibly well and are expected to be able to go home with minimal special care."

Shaw said she's looking forward to caring for her boys.

"I am looking forward to getting them home when they are ready. We really can't wait," Shaw said. 

Cryptic pregnancies are more common than some might think. Just last year, a 22-year-old flight attendant thought she had to use the toilet, where she

unexpectedly gave birth to a girl.

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